Sorry, false alarm! It was just a bit of a joke, I have just been watching too much Dukes of Hazzard lately I think.

The back 40 behind my house consists of half million dollar homes (that does not include mine by the way). Some day I would like to have a real back 40, then perhaps a still will be in order. By then I will probably look like this bloke:

[attachment=225]

But I did read this book once, about a guy walking across America, and he was walking along very tired and thirsty, and he came across this picnic, and the people offered him a drink from their clear jug. He assumed it was water, and started to drink his fill, but it was in fact moonshine, and he said it was so smooth he couldn't tell. But then, as you can imagine, he was in big trouble.

(09-26-2010 11:05 AM)boomer Wrote: Well, if they have the 15 yr old vintage I MUST try it!

I have my own likes on scotch. I am trying out a couple different single malts at a time to try to see which ones I like. About 30 yrs ago - in my navy days, we visited Scotland several times and I would always send home some Glenfiddich or Glenlivet, but when I tried it myself, it tasted like gasoline. Now I try it, and either my pallet has worn out, or, as my wife says, my tongue is too pickled to know the difference!

Here is a question though. About 3 years ago a business associate of mine got me a bottle of Balvenie single malt 15 yr old. I am not a big scotch drinker, but this was a truly gracious gift (rather spendy if you ask me) but rather than break it open, I saved it and saved it for a rainy day, which turns out was last night. Question is, if you buy a bottle of 15 yr old single malt, and leave it in the liquor cabinet for three years, does it not then become 18 year old scotch?

BTW - I had about 3 "wee drams" of it last night. Now I know why happy Scotsmen have rosy cheeks!

Unfortunately we cannot age our own Scotch once it has hit the bottling
process. In a cask, it will continue to breath during the course of the
aging process. Too bad though, cause if that were the case, I know where
you could get a 20 year old bottle of Captain Morgan !
Re: The MacAllen -- my wallet only lets me afford the 12 year.
Additionally, regarding other Scotches,I prefer the Glenlivet over the
Glenfiddech, not big on the pear taste.

The Macallan is one of my favorite, all time scotches, but from a regional sense, it is one of my favorite Speyside scotches. Another very good and reasonably priced single malt is Cragganmore. It's very light and easy to drink, a good "starter" scotch for those new to the libation. From the island of Skye, Talisker is also a favorite.

Islay single malts are known to be VERY peaty and smokey, not something every whisky drinker is fond of. I'm particularly fond of Ardbeg, known as the "Gentle Giant". Lagavulin is a close second to Ardbeg for me. Laphroaig? Can't even go there. It tastes like a wet, woolen mitten although devotees swear by it.

Lowland whisky is lighter than the others, a bit softer on the pallet. Rosebank is my all time Lowland favorite.

I jumped the cliff with a dream to fly
Without knowing the weight of feathers

Uh oh - a Laphroig dissenter? I just posted on that very bottle. I tend to believe that Ardbeg is stronger, but I think its to your own palatte as to which one actually tastes better. Now - I have not tried Talisker, and I hear thats very tasty. The islays I dont mind as long as the peat flavor doesn't knock you all the way to New Zealand and back with a baseball bat. Macallan is a great malt to start with, but I like to sample the flavors in new scotches. Cragganmore I cannot locate, but I hear good things about it but will have to keep looking. I am more of a Highlands tastethan anything else but a couple of the Islays taste perfect, one of which is the Laphroiag (never heard the woolen mitten comparison!).

Can't find many Lowlands malts around here. You almost have to order them.